With Healing in His Wings

When
Jesus came to earth, He performed many miracles of physical healing as a sign
that the curse of sin and death was being reversed. These wonders offered hope
and healing, confirming His identity as the promised Messiah and showing His
love to the sick and dying. Even in Old Testament prophecy, He is seen as the
one who heals us: "But for you who
fear My name, the sun of righteousness will rise with healing in His wings; and
you will go forth and skip about like calves from the stall" (Mal.
4:2).

For
the poorest among us, medical care provided out of Christ-motivated concern is
truly a matter of life and death; for many it can alleviate tremendous
financial needs; for everyone, it is an incredible gift of kindness. Medical
needs often bring us to the end of ourselves, causing emotional and spiritual
suffering in ways few other physical problems can.

AMG
has long recognized this opportunity to serve others, providing medical care
while proclaiming the life-giving Gospel of Christ. From rural health clinics to
specialty care centers for leprosy patients to full-service hospitals, each of
AMG's medical centers serves as a beacon of hope to surrounding communities.

In
the city of Braila, Romania, AMG national worker Dora Ciuca serves as director
of our Diaconia Medical Center.
She shared this story as an example of something that happens almost every day:
"A patient saw one of our doctors, who
was a Christian, and the lady was very pleased with the care she received. When
she came out, she asked me at the reception desk, Why are you so different? I
was very impressed with your doctor -how she explained, she checked, and she
listened to me. Why are you so different?' I told her it was because we are
Christians, and this is the purpose we have for the clinic. I shared some
information about our mission with her, and she said, I am so impressed. Only
God helped me to come here and to find you!'"

Since
1973, AMG has operated St. Luke's
Hospital in Thessaloniki, Greece, where over 2,000 patients each month
experience the love of Christ through the kindness of our staff and daily
devotionals broadcast through the PA system. St. Luke's has come to be one of the highest-quality and most
trusted hospitals in all of Eastern Europe.

There
are many stories of the hope and healing St.
Luke's brings to all comers regardless of their ability to pay (a rare
treasure in Greece's cash-strapped secular medical system). Something that
happened this past summer stands out. One of our missionaries called St. Luke's to ask if the hospital
could treat an illegal immigrant from Pakistan who had very recently come to
saving knowledge of Christ.

This
man had been hit by a car, breaking both bones of his lower leg. A hospital in
Athens only put a small cast on his leg and sent him home. For three months,
this man stayed in a room by himself, in tremendous pain.

When
he came to Thessaloniki, he was very fearful and wary of everything around him.
He was operated on, and in a few days he began to walk again. Our staff there
embraced this man with the love of Christ, and by the end of his stay, he had
begun to smile again. Because of his poverty and immigration status, he likely
would have never been able to receive the costly surgery he needed, but our
missionary generously provided as much as he could, and St. Luke's covered the rest of the expense.

As
stories like these show, medical ministry is a tremendous blessing in its own
right, but even more so, it serves to build up the reputation of the Church,
paving the way for ministry far past the hospital doors.

How
can you help? First of all, pray. Pray for all of AMG's medical staff around the world to be
patient, diligent, and kind to reflect Christ as they serve and for the Lord to
bring healing to those treated.

Second,go.
Many of our medical facilities depend on volunteer doctors, nurses, and
technicians to provide the level of care needed, and even the full-time staff
benefit from training and collaboration from visitors. If you are skilled in
those professions, consider joining AMG for a medical mission trip.

Third,give.
All of us know from personal experience just how expensive health care can be.
It is only by the faithful generosity of generations of Christians that we are
able to share with you about the incredible work AMG is doing today through
medical care. Will you join us in partnership to continue this work and ensure
that we are able to sustain and expand our ministry, and providing Christ-like
compassion to all who come? Thank you!

To learn more about AMG's medical
ministries, and how you and your church can partner with us, please visit www.amginternational.org or call 1-800-251-7206.

Advancing
the Ministries of the Gospel (AMG) International is a non-denominational,
international missions agency based in Chattanooga, Tenn. AMG's distinctive has
always been its reliance on national workers to carry the Gospel in their own
cultures. Today, they operate ministries in more than 30 countries around the
world through partnership with national believers.